20 Things Europeans Envy About The United States

1) National Parks

The United States is world renowned for its national parks. Great lengths have been taken to preserve these areas and when compared to Europe the US has a much greater array of diverse climates and areas to explore.

Notable Parks:

2) Work Opportunities

The sheer amount of cities to live in is baffling to most Europeans. If you’re a marketing manager in Atlanta and want a change of scenery you can move to Seattle without having to apply for a Visa or learn a new language. Although more sprawling than Europe, you can still find different cultures and fresh scenery in each state. If you want to pack up all your stuff and leave there’s nothing stopping you.

3) Suburban Living Areas

While some of us see the suburbs as a generic, soulless way of living life many Europeans envy the amount of empty space we have around our urban centers. While cities in Europe are densely populated and require many residents to live in small flats or packed-together houses American cities have ample room for development outside the city limits. This allows for families to have bigger houses which include lawns and two car garages as well as access to outdoor spaces like parks and golf courses.

4) Netflix Selection

According to this article, the United States has by far the largest number of television shows and movies available in the Netflix catalogue. The next largest available Netflix library in Europe is in Denmark, where they have a palty 48% of what the US has.

5) Geographic Diversity

From sea to shining sea, the United States has several distinct climate and land areas. From the white-washed beaches of the Florida panhandle to the snowy slopes of the Rockies the U.S. is a diverse and wide-open country. While Europe has it’s fair share of beaches and mountains it cannot compare to what the United States has to offer. If you lived in Southern California you could spend the morning surfing on the ocean and head inland to go skiing in the afternoon.

6) Convenience Stores

America is also the land of retail. Consumer choice is a hallmark of our economy and at the center is convenience stores. On one trip to Walmart shoppers can get sporting goods, food, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and much more. Hell, you can even get an eye exam and do you banking inside. Many Europeans have to go to separate, specialized stores to buy these products.

7) Bar-becue

Who doesn’t love a slab of slow roasted BBQ ribs with a side of collard greens and coleslaw? The United States, and in particular the American South boasts the best BBQ restaurants in the world. BBQ is also an American tradition at many sporting events, especially as a tailgate specialty before football games. While Germany may be known for it’s smoked sausage and sauerkraut, the U.S. is the undisputed king of smoked meats and slow cooking.

8) Customization of Vehicles

Many countries in Europe have strict rules on what a person can do to their car, resulting in many people having the stock version of whatever their vehicle is. In the U.S. that isn’t the case. Motorcycle and car enthusiasts have a vast array of aftermarket parts to choose from and enhance the look and performance without having to jump through regulatory hoops.

9) Access To New Technology

The United States is often used as a test market for new technologies, whether it be the latest ride-sharing app or the new iPhone. Silicon Valley is the cradle of technological advancement and has spurned world-changing companies like Apple, Google, Uber, and many more. Often times, Europeans have to wait until after something is released in the U.S. to have access to it.

10) Public Funding For Scientific Research

There have been many notable inventions and scientific discoveries made in the United States, which is due in large part to the amount of public funding that’s allocated through special grants and federal programs. Publicly-funded universities also play a large part in scientific breakthroughs and because the U.S. boasts over 4,000 colleges and universities it makes it a desirable place for scientists to conduct their studies.

11) Free Refills

Many restaurants and convenient stores offer free refills of of drinks. Maybe this is indicative of America’s appetite for sugary frozen slushies and soft drinks but a lot of places in Europe don’t have the same attitude towards filling back up.

12) Interstate Highway System

The interstate highway system was a major initiative undertaken by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. Although the U.S. doesn’t have the convenience of high-speed trains like Europe it does allow for personal vehicles to travel over large, unobstructed swaths of land to travel to the nearest city. Because the system is federally funded roads are often kept in better shape than the ones in Europe, mainly because creating a cohesive and updated road network in Europe would require cooperation between separate governments.

13) Online Shopping

We can all agree that Amazon Prime is the sh!t. With a growing network of distribution centers popping up all over the US, Amazon can deliver a large catalogue of consumer goods within hours to people who order from the website. Fedex and UPS also operate a large fleet of delivery trucks across the United States that ensures products ordered online are delivered in a timely and dependable manner. Often times when Europeans order goods online they are saddled with costly international shipping rates because most of the online marketplace is geared towards American consumers.

14) Halloween Celebrations

Although Halloween is considered an international holiday nobody celebrates it quite like the Yankees. From college campuses to neighborhood house parties Halloween is often used as an excuse for Americans to get hammered drunk and dress up as their favorite superhero or popular television character.

15) Professional Sports

Although soccer (futbol) has a rich heritage and rabid following in many parts of Europe it can’t hold a candle to the vast array of professional sports leagues the United States has to offer. Many American cities have multiple sports teams and the Super Bowl is often one of the most watched television events in the world.

16) 24-Hour Restaurants

Many chain restaurants in the US are open 24 hours a day: Waffle House, IHOP, In n Out Burger, Denny’s, Perkins, and many more. There’s something beautiful about being able to stumble into a breakfast place at 2 in the morning to satisfy that late night hunger.

17) Year-Round Summers

Many states located in the Southwest and Southern United States have temperate climates that don’t experience any snowfall or extreme low temperatures, which lends itself to an extremely high quality of living, especially if you like the outdoors.

18) Freedom of Speech

The bedrock of American values; the first amendment ensures that no matter what your religion, race, or social standing in society is you have the right to be heard and assemble. Many countries in Europe have not adopted this principle, resulting in draconian policies towards individual sexuality and religious practices.

19) Cheap Gas

Whether you use natural gas to heat your home or drive an SUV that gets 12 miles per gallon the US has much cheaper gas prices when compared to Europe. This has led to problems though; as gas prices dip so does the enthusiasm for public transportation.

20) Entertainment Industry

International pop culture starts in the United States. The US pioneered the modern film industry and its celebrities are recognized around the world. From Rhianna and Beyonce to Martin Scorcese and Tom Cruise, the United States is globally recognized as the epicenter of entertainment.

15 comments

You're clueless and you need to leave you backward flyover state. . Imagine bragging about our schlock big box stores, dumbed down Hollywood films, even more dumbed down professional sports, shit restaurants like waffle house, Halloween (a day that was supposed to be originally just for kids that's now been commercialized by corporate America. You have no awareness of what's better because you've never been anywhere. I'm American and I travel to Europe several times a year. None of those things would induce any kind of "envy" among Europeans.

This list shows why Americans are considered dumb people. Great job providing that entertainment for everyone. I'm not European, but even I have to distance myself from that before I become more stupid by reading such things. Also move out of Japan already, we're tired of you already.

Oh hi I do not own a passport let alone have been to europe, and I have no idea what life in europe or europeans are like. I will list random things I like about my life in the US and call that "20 Things Europeans Envy About The United States". Convenience stores ... really?

That was amazing, because it was one of the most clueless things i have *ever* read. Stunning. Having lived on both US coasts and in three European countries, I can tell you it's 95% bullshit. I'll give the writer #4 and maybe #16 (although my local McDs is open 24 hours, so there's that...)You now what I do miss? Chicken-fried steak, good peanut butter and...that's about it.

#18 'Many countries in Europe have not adopted this principle, resulting in draconian policies towards individual sexuality and religious practices.' LOL, an American talking about harmful policies towards LGBT and non Christian religions. Didn't someone get away with a murder by citing a a defense known as 'Gay Panic'?